THE NEW G.O.P. CHAIRMAN

Elected unanimously last week as chairman of the Republican National Committee: LEONARD WOOD (LEN) HALL. 52, lawyer.

Family & Early Years: Born at Oyster Bay, N.Y. near Theodore Roosevelt's Sagamore Hill estate, and reared in Republicanism. His father, Franklyn H. Hall, was Roosevelt's coachman and rose to be White House librarian. Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt suggested to Hall's parents that they name their son for her husband's friend and old commanding officer, General Leonard Wood.

Legal Career: Graduated from the Georgetown University law school in 1920. In 1939, he joined in forming the firm of Hall. Robinson & Hogan in Oyster Bay. Highly successful in the law, he became surrogate (probate judge) of New York's Nassau County last January.

Political Career: Started in 1926 as a G.O.P. campaign worker, moved on to serve in the New York assembly, became Nassau County's sheriff, went to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1939 to serve until this year. As a Congressman, he introduced few bills, made few speeches, concentrated on hard, effective committee work. From 1947 through last year, he was chairman of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee. He managed to stay out of the bitter nomination battle .between Taft and Eisenhower, bustled around the convention hall in Chicago wearing one of those buttons proclaiming: "I like everybody." When the balloting came, he liked Ike. later became a key figure making arrangements on the Eisenhower campaign train. He has resigned his $30,000-a-year judgeship, will serve the G.O.P. without pay.

Personality: A big (6 ft. 2 in., 229 Ibs.), bald, hearty, handshaking, back-thumping man with a remarkable memory for names and numbers, he is considered the Republicans' Jim Farley. His "I like everybody" philosophy was tested in 1950 when New York's Senator Herbert Lehman., campaigning for reelection, bitterly attacked him. Hall, who was running for re-election to the House, made no reply. A week later Lehman apologized, said he really meant New York's Representative Edwin A. Hall (Binghamton). Leonard Wood Hall broke his silence, said he knew all along that Lehman, "an honorable gentleman, would correct the misstatement when apprised of the true facts."

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